DEITA.RU special project “Anthology of elections in Primorye”, part 3.
Yuri Mikhailovich Kopylov at the end of 1998, after the epic, and it could not be otherwise, the departure of Viktor Cherepkov, was appointed acting head of administration in Vladivostok. From the very first days of work, the new “head” of the city actively works to patch up, close, redo, reorganize the “heritage” inherited from his predecessor. He only called the former mayor a “destroyer of cities”.
Unlike his “non-systemic” predecessor, Yuri Kopylov was a professional manager at the time. The career he started in the fishing industry took him through the district committee, town committee and regional party committee. A man with a diploma from the Nakhodka sailor, the higher party school of the CPSU, Dalrybvtuz and experience as the deputy head of the city was, at that time, an ideal candidate for the post of city manager.
Having closed the salary debts of state employees, contractors of the “Cherepkovo” construction projects, in 2000, Yuri Kopylov won the elections and took office as mayor for the next four years. There were scandals during the period of the will of the people. But Vladivostok had already got used to it, and at that time, apart from the associates of ex-mayor Cherepkov, few people were interested in it.
Meanwhile, the problems of the previous administration remained. And new ones have been added accordingly. And the composition of regional authorities has already managed to change. Constant processes of streamlining, sorting out everything possible and impossible engulfed the mayor. The border between what is realistic and what is not has disappeared.
Yuri Mikhailovich did not differ in particular thanks to public speaking. Could and “cut the shoulder.” Nasty, but true, but honesty and sincerity, you know. However, a number of his “masterpiece” statements are by no means remembered because of their simplicity.
The unconditional “hit” of Yuri Mikhailovich was the idea that he put forward (there were no projects in the vocabulary of the establishment at that time) to establish the production of fuel oil from ” dried human excrement” by pyrolysis. Even a musical track on this topic appeared and for some time was popular among the locals, they say, it was even played on some radio stations.
Prior to this, the mayor was also considering using natural human needs as a way to replenish the budget. At the same time, the problem of public toilets could be solved. Here is a quote from a city weekly: “There are enough toilets for everyone. But they will not work for a private pocket, but will bring money to the city treasury. In fairness, it should be noted that no leader has yet been able to earn state money from the excrement of townspeople. Somehow it is not possible to turn the people of Vladivostok into new oil, but how wonderful it would be – and they pay taxes and even produce a financially large product in a natural way. Meanwhile, the issue of public toilets in Vladivostok is topical.
The “golden collection” of Yuri Kopylov’s ideas also includes the desire to test the strength of the “Gogol” denouement by landing an airliner there. There were problems with the intelligible documentation of the project. The predecessor began to build it. And the head of the city, apparently, was ready for extreme measures.
“I think to negotiate with the airmen, start the Tu-154 for landing, let it hit the denouement with its landing gear … If it gets up, then it will get up, and if it does not get up not, then we will have it destroyed!” – summarized in one of his interviews Yuri Mikhailovich.
In the same “selection”, six multi-storey elevator-type parking lots from South Korea are planned to be installed in the city. The project to build the first passenger cable car in Russia is also “located” here. At the initial stage, the cable car was supposed to connect the shores of the Golden Horn bay. In the future – Lugovaya Square from the street. Chernyakhovsky, Burachek Hill with Shamora Bay and the coast of Artur Bay with Cape Pospelov on Russky Island. This idea, by the way, still excites the immature minds of many municipal planners.
After five and a half years of managing the city, Yuri Kopylov has the following in the “dry” balance:
— Liquidation of debts of several million dollars inherited from the predecessor on payments to state employees in various fields.
- Vladivostok districts ceased to be independent municipalities.
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The roadway at the exit of the city has been widened. Construction of a new overpass of the Nekrasovsky Viaduct has begun. The projects were financed from regional and federal budgets.
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On the sidewalks of the central streets appeared cobblestones and trees in containers. In the cold season, the cobblestones “supplied” work for the city’s emergency room. Vegetation in tubs has for some time been the subject of debate about aesthetic expediency and a “trophy” for irresponsible summer residents and amateur gardeners.
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The Vladivostok Arbat acquired the initial outlines. The area known today has been cleared of countless stalls.
— The Arc de Triomphe was built on the historic site, a copy of the original building demolished under the Soviet regime. Near the arch there was a square, now called Admiralsky.
— Laying of the symbolic “first” stone of the foundations of the cable car station.
-Promotion of the idea of ​​creating a company to transform human excrement into fuel oil by pyrolysis.
- The municipal stadium “Avangard” revived the roar of two-stroke engines. Speedway returned to Vladivostok, but not for long.
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A columbarium has been built in the cemetery, meeting everyone who enters the city of gray rows.
To the above should be added two criminal cases initiated on the fact of abuse and abuse of power (by the way, there was also an investigation into the columbarium), which ended in sentences suspended sentence for the ex-chief.
Special project “Anthology of elections in Primorye”. What kind of people and how came to power in the region, scandals, intrigues and pearls of governors and mayors. Political detective in 11 episodes.
Part 1. “In collaboration with the mayor. The first mayor of Vladivostok elected by the people.
Part 2. “Nazdratenko at the helm, we are not afraid of ***”: how Primorye became a hot spot
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